Dr Patrick Meffan Says Nelson Hospital Urology Department Is On The Brink
Nelson Hospital urology head Dr Patrick Meffan warns that severe staffing shortages have pushed the department to the brink of collapse, leaving him as the only doctor in the top of the south capable of performing complex kidney, bladder, and prostate cancer surgeries, 1News reported.
A Department Operating at Half Capacity
The urology service normally relies on four urologists to cover Nelson, Tasman, and Marlborough, but it has operated with only two doctors for the past year. Dr Meffan, who has practiced in Nelson for 34 years and whose father helped establish the department in 1968, said he routinely performs operations during his leave to prevent patient cancers from turning terminal. In one instance, he returned during a break to complete 12 complex cancer procedures out of 16 pending cases.
The demanding operations often stretch past six hours. Dr Meffan recently flew back from Wānaka to handle an urgent case when no one from the main centres was available to travel. While he prioritizes life-threatening conditions, patients requiring non-cancer surgeries face growing delays. Individuals with large kidney stones or urinary retention can wait up to a year, enduring severe discomfort while their procedures are pushed down the list.
South Island Urology Services Face Acute Strain
Urology services face acute strain across the South Island. Southland currently lacks any permanent urologists, while Dunedin operates with just three specialists. Malcolm Mulholland of Patient Voice Aotearoa said public concern regarding access to urological care is rising, warning that services in Southland have already collapsed while Nelson remains on the verge of a similar breakdown.
Health New Zealand southern group director of operations Craig Ashton said the agency plans to add more urologists to the South Island next year. Interim measures, including employing locum specialists, utilizing cross-regional support teams, and outsourcing cases to private providers, aim to maintain care capacity.
Nelson Hospital interim chief medical officer Dr Derek Sherwood said recruitment efforts for the vacant roles continue despite sector-wide shortages. He noted that interim measures have successfully halved the number of patients waiting for assessments and reduced overall wait times. Health New Zealand commissioned an independent review of the urology service following the case of Daniel Walker, whose cancer progression was linked to treatment delays. That review is scheduled for release soon.